Major Hankey began
the briefing at 0700 hours, our primary target is the airdrome located at Conche, France
which is identified as Z661. We also have a secondary target, Beaumont Le Roger Airdrome
Z460. We will put up two boxes, thirty-six aircraft plus four extras. All ships are loaded
with ten 300 pound GP demolition bombs fused both nose and tail with a one-tenth second
delay. Our Group will be following the 323rd Bomb Group on this one! Our escort and
support fighters are Spitfires from 11 Group RAF, we rendezvous with them over the
channel.

The route out from base to Splasher Beacon number 8 where we rendezvous at 12,000 feet
with the 323rd Group at 0930 hours. Then on to Lewes to position 50 degrees 10 minutes
North, 00 degrees ten minutes East where we meet up with our fighter escort at 0950 hours.
Continue to fly to five miles northwest of Fecamp where enemy landfall is made, on to the
I.P. at Quillebeuf to target. The axis of attack is generally from north to south, and the
aiming point will be the intersection of the runways. The 323rd will be aiming for the
southeast dispersal area. We will be bombing from 10,500 feet. Route back: turn right off
target to Serquigny to eight miles northeast of Fecamp where we exit enemy territory at
10,000 feet. Then head for Beachy Head crossing the English Coast at 6,000 feet, and back
to base. Diversion airdromes are West Malling and Frisden.

In regard to flak information - on August 24th a B-17 outfit attacked this target from
23,000 feet. They encountered extremely accurate heavy type flak fire from twelve heavy
guns situated to the southwest, northwest, and northeast of the target airdrome. The
defenses fired a single predicted concentration, followed by predictor control
"SEEN"! September 23rd B-26s reported weak inaccurate heavy type flak
northeast of Fecamp, coming from flak ships. Also weak and inaccurate 88mm flak has been
reported at Eletot and Fauville. On a raid to secondary target September 16th, crews
reported slight inaccurate heavy and light type flak just west of Beaumont Le Roger. There
are four guns located one and three-quarters miles northwest of town and six guns two and
one-quarter miles southeast of town. Runways are reported to have been coated over with
tar. Four barrage balloons observed flying at 2,000 feet reported at Quillebeuf.

The latest word concerning enemy fighter base locations follows: Aircraft previously
based at Evreux and Beaumont Le Roger are now believed to be relocated to other smaller
landing grounds or airdromes in the same general area. We believe this change is the
result of successful bombing of the Wing against these airdromes; causing some decrease in
efficiency of their operations with the destruction or damage of repair and maintenance
facilities. These raids most likely have caused a decline in morale of air crews and
ground crew personnel of the enemy!

Communications for today: Bomber to fighter on VHF Radio Channel B, also with 323rd
Group. Bomber call sign is CIVIC, fighter call sign is CROKAY, and the Ground Sector
Control call sign is PETRO. Air-Sea-Rescue on VHF Channel D. Splasher Beacons in use for
entire mission are: 5D, 6F, 7G, 11I, 13J, and 15E. Leader or deputy leader will report to
Wing upon clearing the enemy coast.

After briefing, flight crews were transported to their assigned planes. They busied
themselves loading on personal gear, then began checking out their aircraft. Soon it was
engine start time, followed by taxiing out to the active end of the runway for take off
sequence. Major Beaty was into the air with "SON-OF-SATAN 131613 YA-Y at 0829 hours,
the other five ships in his lead flight were close behind. Then came the high flight
leader, Captain Charles Thornton flying his "CRESCENDO" 131644 RG-C, was off at
0832 hours. The author flying with the Lieutenant Donald Vincent crew in a ship called
"SEDUCTIVE SUSIE" 131738 RG-O, was off at 0834 hours, right behind us was
Lieutenant Romney Spencer piloting an aircraft called "GERONIMO" 131630 RG-J in
number six position. The low flight leader was Captain Robert Sands flying "MR. FIVE
BY FIVE" 131612 YA-Z.

Second box leader was Captain Emmett E. Curran with "LADY LUCK" 134947 RU-K
was off at 0842 hours. High flight leader Captain Albert Caney maneuvered his plane
"PRIVY DONNA" 131658 RU-A into the air at 0849 hours. Low flight lead was taken
by Captain R.D. Williams flying "DINAH MIGHT" 131576 AN-Z, clearing the runway
with five of his flight in close pursuit. Thirty-six aircraft plus four extra planes swung
around the field gaining altitude, and filling in flight positions, then heading south to
their rendezvous with the 323rd Bomb Group.

Suddenly the author saw black spurts of smoke emitting in rapid succession from the two
large exhaust ports on the left engine of "HOT PISTOL" 131633 RG-P. Captain
Justin Lubojasky was its pilot flying in number four position of our high flight. My crew
was flying in number five position off his right wing, a bit lower and slightly back which
gave me a clear view of what was happening! His plane dropped about seventy-five feet down
below our plane then slide out to the right side of us.

Lieutenant Amar Andranigian who was standing between the two pilots of "HOT
PISTOL", prior to moving into the nose compartment, takes over the narrative: "I
heard a split second stop and go from the left engine - within a short time there were
several similar occurrences. Captain Lubojasky, or Lubo as he was known, gave me a quick
glance over his shoulder and shook his head from left to right. Then he asked me to give
him a heading to the North Sea by the shortest route; we would have to salvo our bombs.
Our co-pilot John Bryant moved his seat back on its track so I could slip down into the
nose of the ship.

After reaching my bombardier station I looked to my left and noted that our left
propeller was stopped in the feathered position. Before we reached the English Coast an
urgent call came over the intercom from Captain Lubo, "Andy get rid of your
bombs!" I asked him to lower the nose a bit before I opened the bomb bay doors, then
gave him verbal directions so as to line our ship on an inlet that we were approaching. I
called to our tail gunner Staff Sergeant Hugh Everhart via the intercom requesting that he
keep a sharp eye on where our bombs landed.

The bomb bay doors were open, using all manual control switches to release the bombs I
noticed that not all lights had gone out on the bomb position indicator panel. As usual I
called out bombs away. Our crew procedure before closing the bomb bay doors was for me to
take a quick look over my right shoulder toward the co-pilot, he in turn would look back
into the bomb bay to make certain all bombs left clearly and completely with no bombs
hanging. If okay he would give my the "OKAY Sign" with his right hand, made by
forming an "O" with his thumb and index finger while holding his other three
fingers erect. Not this time however, he flashed four fingers indicating four bombs had
hung! I ran the switches again manually, but to no avail. Immediately I closed the bomb
bay doors being aware of the increased drag they were creating, which in turn put an added
burden on our only remaining engine.

I informed the pilot that we must land with four 300 pound bombs in our racks. Captain
Lubo excepted the situation, then asked for a heading to the nearest airfield. We were
just north of Tollsbury and a short distance south of our former base at Boxted, near
Colchester. I gave him a northerly heading, moved out of the nose compartment, and took up
a position standing just behind the two pilot seats. Staff Sergeants Eugene Hood, Jr. and
Hugh Everhart came up into the radio-navigator compartment. Tech Sergeant Socrates
Triantafellu was our radioman, he was busy making some homemade safety pins from a roll of
wire to insert into the bomb fuses, both nose and tail. Our procedure was, shortly after
take off the crew members would pull the pins and lay them on the catwalk when going back
to their crew positions. As the bomb bay doors would open, the pins and tags would blow
away!

We approached Boxted from a southerly direction in a rapid let down, our air speed was
205 m.p.h., too fast for a straight in approach, so Captain Lubo elected to pull around to
the right losing some speed and then swing around to set up a left hand pattern coming in
from the north with the landing gear down. He held the control wheel with his left hand
while holding onto the rudder trim crank with his right hand; he made a slight correcting
turn into the dead engine, the ship was settling fast! Suddenly a house appeared amongst
some trees - the pilot judged we would clear it. He jerked up the landing gear and applied
power to the right engine creating just enough lift as the house flashed under us. He
jammed down the landing gear and cut power, flared the ship and touched down with a hard
bounce at the end of the runway. However we were not going down the runway, but rather
across it! We continued bouncing over the unpaved portion of the airfield. I was still
standing just back of the pilots and holding onto their seats, and feeling much like a
chariot driver in the Roman Days of old! The plane finally came to a halt in the vicinity
of the airdrome fuel supply dump with no visible damage to the aircraft. Later some airmen
from Boxted told us they thought we had crashed after dipping down below the tree tops on
final approach. We borrowed a jeep and our crew headed for base at Great Dunmow about
twenty-six miles away. The trip proved to be most adventurous, we took many wrong roads in
the process. Due to war time security measures most all road signs had been removed for
the duration!" End of bombardier statement. In the interim, Bomb Wing issued a recall
and all Group planes jettisoned their bombs into the channel eight miles east of Bradwell
and returned to base.